Following extensive damage to a number of roadways during the recent periods of extensive rainfall across the island, Transport and Mining Minister Mike Henry is to convene a meeting with the leadership of the Transport Authority (TA) to discuss a challenge being faced by some public passenger vehicle (PPV) operators.

The challenge is for the operators to strictly adhere to their prescribed routes ahead of repairs to the damaged roadways.

The minister said it is accepted that some roadways have been badly eroded by the recent rainfalls, including breakaways at some points, which make it very costly and, in some cases, dangerous to traverse some points.

As a consequence, he is seeking to establish what concessions, if any, can be temporarily offered to PPV operators in circumstances where clear and extensive road damages can be demonstrated, and there are no indications of any plans to quickly repair the respective thoroughfares.

Henry said with the overall volume of road damages that has been recorded across the country, it is not practical to expect all the damages to be repaired in the very short term.

Hence, he believes the TA has an obligation to at least consider the circumstances being faced by the operators and, where practical, look to apply some temporary remedial measures.

He said while there may be loopholes to abuse any adjustment that may be made by the TA, "that is no basis to not at least examine the implications of the situation that some operators now face in this time of national emergency brought on by the damage done by the recent rainfalls".